Silence is Golden (Percy Jackson AU)

Epilogue

Christmas was different this year. No one really knew how or why, but they knew was different. And it started at two in the morning when Percy started crying.

His mom woke up.

The next day, Jason got promoted to manger of the dinner, after both Katie and Dakota refused it. He inherited a huge sum of money from the position that left him crying. Jason also found out because of the incident with the Monster at the movie theater he needed glasses. Nico didn't hesitate to snicker at him.

Two days after that Piper got the surprise of her life. She was headed out the door at eight to hang with Jason but stopped seeing a small present with her name on it at her seat at the table, tagged from her dad. It was the beautiful necklace she'd wanted for months but never really had time to go buy it. Like always she stopped by the Secretary, (Jane had been fired under mysterious circumstances and someone new took her place. Mellie or something like that) and said thank you but the new girl claimed to have no idea of its existence.

Next, Annabeth got a call from the hospital telling her the new surgery that could fix her vocals was out with a 98% success rate and she one of the firsts on the list.

On Saturday, Frank and Hazel made plans. They met at Frank's house and Frank led her up to his room. She sat carefully on his bed as he opened a locked draw of his desk. He pulled out a gold and red wrapped present, that was tagged with cursive scrawl too neat for either one of them to have written. Frank glanced at Hazel, who nodded her support. Frank tore open his year old present.

On Sunday, Nico walked down stairs to see Hazel making Sunday French toast just like Bianca use to. He couldn't quite process it at first, but he made a decision right then. He turned and ran back up the stairs. Hazel worriedly followed him, only to find him digging something from the bottom of his closet. He pulled out a huge box covered in mythical monsters, he looked up at her and opened it to reveal three hundred, thin playing cards. Apparently he hadn't burned them. Then Nico said seven words that had her discard the rest of her day immediately, "I wanna teach you how to play."

On Tuesday, Thalia and Nico hung out at the park. They didn't really talk until the end though when Nico offered her a Milky Way. "In remembrance of Zoë, and her path to the stars." He said. What she didn't know, but soon found out, was he had had the candy bar specially wrapped with a friendship ring inside.

Gabe got arrested for child abuse.

Helen got taken to court for hitting Annabeth.

Reyna ran into a hot guy at the Bowling Alley, named Aether, and she ended up having the time of her life without Jason.

Will took Nyssa out for ice cream like he promised.

Chris survived his burns from the explosion thanks to Clarisse.

Krios and Kronos were caught halfway across the country in a stolen car.

Zoë really did tell Luke that Thalia said hello.

But one of the strangest things that happened that Christmas season was the package that was found on the library front desk that only nine people would ever really, truly understand.

It was a beautifully carved set of Dragon book ends. One side was the head a terrifying, tangible, piece of art that even the woodshop teacher claimed he couldn't create. The other side was the tail inscribed with the strange name Festus. The librarians were confused as to why someone named it "Happy". Who would name a Dragon, "Happy"?

The only clue to the creator was a small note carved in the wood work and emphasized with black Sharpie.

The biggest mystery Leo Valdez left behind. How had he known? He hadn't even been there during the conversation.

But none the less, his scrawl neatly printed his wisest words:

Silence is NOT Golden
~The Runaway